LIRR, Metro-North Ban Alcohol for SantaCon Weekend

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SantaCon revelers traveling into New York City via the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North are being warned not to bring alcohol onto trains this weekend.

The annual pub crawl, taking place in Williamsburg for the second straight year, draws thousands of festive partiers from across the region.

But those taking the commuter trains in won't be allowed to start sipping early. The MTA has banned alcohol on Metro-North and LIRR trains and stations from noon on Saturday, Dec. 10 through noon on Sunday, Dec. 11.

The timeframe coincides with the normal LIRR ban on alcohol between midnight and 5 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights.

MTA police will be enforcing the ban at Penn Station, Grand Central Terminal and stations throughout the area, as well as on trains. The MTA says police will confiscate alcoholic beverages and issue summonses carrying fines or jail time.

Violators could also be removed from trains or stations, the MTA says.

New Jersey Transit said a system-wide ban on beverages for SantaCon will go into effect starting Saturday, Dec. 10 into the early morning Sunday, Dec. 11, the transit agency announced Thursday. The ban will also take place early morning Saturday Dec. 17 until Dec. 18.

The agency noted that existing NJ Transit policy does not allow beverages on buses at anytime, not just during SantaCon.

Neighborhood organizations and business owners have derided the popular pub crawl, and the pushback in some neighborhoods forced organizers to move the event.

At last year's SantaCon, five people were arrested and more than 100 red-suited participants were issued summonses, the Daily News reports.